ELL 788

Computational Perception & Cognition

July November 2015

Module 0
Understanding mind

Several approaches to understand mind

Philosophical [ Since ancient times (Aristotle ~300 BC) ]

Allows to ask broader and more fundamental questions

Uses reasoning tools (deductive and inductive logic)

Does not use scientific methods (experimentation)

Psychological [ Developed during the 20th century ]

Based on systematic experimentation

Dealt with difficult to quantify items

Lack of measuring tools reliance on theories

Neouroscientific [ Late 20th century ]

Mind = Brain [ + Nervous System ]

Study of Brain damaged patients, autopsy, EEG,CAT SCAN, PET SCAN ...

Brain anatomy, structure and properties of neorons

The cognitive approach

[David Marr, ~1975]

Mind as an information processing system

Represents and operates on information

Modularity

Different and distinct functional modules

Works independently, in parallel to each other

Interacts Process models

Classical view vs. Network view

Consciousness: An emergent property of these
ineractions

hy
p
so
o
l
i
Ph

Psych
ology

g
r in
ee
gin
En

Neuro-sciences

Blind men perceiving an elephant ?

Levels of abstraction
23 + 48 = ?

Computational
Model

23

48
?

Algorithm

Implementation

Add 3 and 8
Get 1, Carry 1
... ...

A decimal adder
circuit

Your fingers
and your mind

Represent as
binary numbers
Exor, And ... ...

A full-adder
circuit

Functionalism
Computational
Model

Implementation

Justification for studying computational model

Why and how to study mind ?

Philosophy &
Cognitive Sciences
MIND

Computational
Model

Models
Algorithm

Psychology
Human
Behavior
Neuroscinces

Implementation

Human
Body

Simulation
& Validation
CS & EE
Optimal
Artificial
HCI
Mind
(Robotics)

Information Processing and Symbolism

Hiranmay

Person

(Male, Age = ... ,

Nationality = ... ... )

Rupee
Indian
money

Unicode
representation

Social acceptibility

Graphic symbols in everyday life

Limits of mind:
Computational and physical states

A computer has a finite number of possible and distinct

states
Each state of a computer can be viewed as a symbolic
representation of some real world entity
How many different states this laptop can have?

8 GB of RAM

1 TB of disk

How many physical states do we deal with?

For example, a chess game?

How many possible states human mind has?

References
Interesting Reading

E-book: Fiedenberg. Cognitive Science